Russia no longer believes in Trump's peace plan and is ready to step up strikes
Photo: Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin (Getty Images)
The Kremlin no longer believes that US President Donald Trump can force Ukraine to sign a peace deal on Russia's terms. As a result, Moscow plans to step up its attacks and is preparing for a prolonged war, Bloomberg reports.
According to sources familiar with the matter, if Trump's position in the US weakens following the midterm elections, it could have a significant impact on the course of the war.
Moscow will look for ways to have US sanctions lifted, seeking to convince Trump that business can resume without waiting for the war in Ukraine to end. At the same time, Trump is unlikely to step up support for Kyiv and Europe if the Republican Party loses to the Democrats in the congressional elections.
"That’s likely to embolden Putin to step up attacks on Ukraine’s power infrastructure as winter approaches to try to force Ukraine to capitulate," the outlet said.
According to Bloomberg's sources, the Kremlin is no longer confident that Trump can impose Russia's terms on Ukraine. The Russian president therefore intends to increase military pressure on Ukraine and its European allies.
Abu Dhabi talks and possible meeting in China
Peace talks involving representatives of Ukraine, the US and Russia are scheduled to resume in Abu Dhabi on November 10-11. However, Putin signals no readiness to compromise on his hardline demands regarding Ukrainian territory.
In addition, Putin and Trump may meet in China this month at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit hosted by Xi Jinping. This would give the Russian leader another opportunity to try to win the US leader over to his side.
The meeting is expected to take place without Ukraine or its European partners, but Moscow does not anticipate any major breakthrough.
Russia's record military spending and the Iran factor
After Putin's meeting with Trump in Alaska in August 2025 ended without any results, Russia spiked its 2026 defense spending by nearly $60 billion, bringing its total military budget to nearly $200 billion.
The draft budget projects similar spending for 2027, signaling that Moscow has completely abandoned any restraint on military expenditures.
At the same time, the peace process in Abu Dhabi could be derailed by escalating tensions in the Middle East if Trump follows through on his threats to resume strikes on Iran.
Emily Ferris, an associate fellow at the London-based Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), warns that Trump could shift his focus from Ukraine to Iran if Russia continues to insist on its territorial claims.
"This could jeopardize US military aid to Ukraine, with the argument that this should be used against Iran instead or to support Israel’s air defenses," the expert stressed.
Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said security guarantees must be discussed during the upcoming peace talks in Abu Dhabi.
Among the other key issues, he named an end to strikes on energy infrastructure, the unblocking of the grain corridor, an exchange of prisoners of war and a possible meeting between the countries' leaders.
The Kremlin has also confirmed that Russia will take part in the talks on Ukraine scheduled for November 10-11 in Abu Dhabi.
